Well digging tool



July 29, 1952 u. SANDONA WELL DIGGING TOOL 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed July 51, 1950 5 v R m 5 P /w 0 2 o H 1"; 3 9 w 2 if.

UHANO .hsmoma. BY

July 29, 1952 u. SANDONA WELL DIGGING TOOL 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed July 51., 1950 INVENTOR.

Patented July 29, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WELL DI-GGING TOOL Urano Sandona, San Francisco, Calif.

Application July 31, 1950', Serial No. 176,795

My present invention relates to earth digging equipment and more particularly to a self actuating clam-shell bucket device for digging deep holes such as wells and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device that will be particularly adapted to the digging of wells and other deep holes of a diameter which cannot be conveniently accomplished with other conventional earthdigging equipment.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and novel clam-shell bucket operating mechanism in which an energy-storing spring is employed and rendered operative to close the bucket in response to an impact or jar when the clam-shell bucket is dropped into contact with the earth which is to be removed from the bottom of a hole.

7 Another object of the invention is to provide an improved clam-shell bucket in which the halves of the bucket operate about two centers in a new and novel manner with the result that the two halves of the bucket tend to dig into the earth when closing. 7 i

Another object of the invention is to provide a clam-shell bucket which will open'to the full diameter of the hole being dug and when closed will conform substantially to the contour of the hole.

Other objects and advantages will be in part evident to those skilled in the art and in part pointed out hereinafter inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein there is shown by way of illustration and not of limitation a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front view in elevation of a device constructed in accordance with. the invention,

Figure 2 isa side View of the device as shown in Figure 1, 4 V

Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2 and showing the parts in another position,

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a-portion of the device as shown in Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the parts in another position,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view showing my improved bucket in its open position, and

Figure '7 is a fragmentary view showing the bucket of Figure 6 in its closed earth-lifting position.

Reference is now made to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings for a brief description, after which reference will bemade to the'remaining features 5- Claims. (Cl. 37-183) 2 V of the drawing for a more detailed explanation of the invention.

As here shown, my improved device includes and is mounted upon a vertically extending shaft Ill that has a clevis II at its other end to which a cable I2 is attached and by which the shaft Ill may be raised and dropped in a vertical posi-' tion. Secured at a fixed point upon shaft [0' there is a spring supporting member i3 upon which a coiled compression spring 14 is positioned with its convolutions concentric to the shaft Ill. At its upper end the spring 14 is also engaged by a spring compressing member [5 that is slidably mounted upon the shaft l6 and ex. tending downwardly from the spring engaging. member Hi there are two tie-rods l6 that connect with a manually operable lever .IT. This lever 11, as will hereinafter appear, is adapted when in its operative position to compress and. hold the spring ['4 in an energy storing condition. The lever I1 is of bifurcated construction and is pivotally mounted at its bifurcated 'end upon opposite extending trunnions l8 that are carried by a clam-shell bucket supporting member [9 which is slidably mounted upon. the shaft ill. At its lower end the bucket supporting. member [9 has two spaced and depending arms 2%] between which two scissor-like bucket carrying members 2| and 22 are pivotally mounted. As here shown the two halves of a clam-shell bucket, designated by the numerals 23 and 2-4, are respectively mounted upon the members 2| and 22. The scissor-like members 2 l and 22 are also here shown as having their upwardly and outwardly extending arms operatively connected to the lower end ofthe shaft [0 by means of curved links 25 and 26 so that when the bucket securing member If! is moved upwardly and relative to the shaft ID by the spring M the lower ends thereof, designated by the numerals 21 and 28, will be caused to move into overlapping relation with each other.

In order to secure the bucket sup-porting memher [9 in its bucket open position and against relative upward movement along the shaft [0. under the influence of the spring l4" there are two oppositely disposed sears 29 which engage with the upper end of the cylindrical portion of the bucket supporting member. These sears 29 are hingedly mounted upon the fixed spring supporting. member [3. As is more clearly shown in: Figure 2 of the drawings, the upwardly extending cylindrical portion of the bucket supporting member I!) is provided with inclined sear blocks or surfaces 30 against which the free ends of the sears 29 are held by means of upwardly extending fingers 3| carried by a scar retaining member 32. In this manner the sears 29 operate to prevent movement of the bucket supporting member l9 when the lever I? is operated to cook the mechanism and store energy in the compression spring I4, as is illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings.

By now referring back to Figure l of the drawings, it will be noted that the sear retaining member 32 which carries the fingers 3| is slidably mounted upon the cylindrical portion of the bucket supporting member l9 and is held in an elevated position by means of springs 33 that operates through depending push-rods 34 and brackets 35 carried by the sear retaining mem-- ber 32. The push-rods 34 in turn carry weights 35 that are slidably guided by ears 38 and 3'! carried by the bucket supporting member l9. In this manner the elevation of the sear retaining member 32 can be determined by adjustable nuts 38 at the lower end of the push-rods 34. With this arrangement it will be evident that when the device is dropped in a vertical direction and the sides 23 and 24 of the clam-shell bucket contact with the earth there will be a sudden stopping of the bucket supporting member I9. This will cause a jar that will result in the sear retaining member 32 continuing downwardly, due to its inertia, relative to the member l9 and as soon as the sears 29 have been cleared by the fingers 3| of the sear retaining member 32 they will fly outwardly and permit the compression spring I4 to move the bucket supporting member l9 relatively and upwardly along the shaft I0. Then as this relative movement occurs the bucket supporting member I?! in cooperation with the shaft ID will cause the scissor-like members 2| and 22 to operate the clam-shell bucket and close it upon the encompassed earth lying therebelow and with which it is in contact. At this point it will be noted that the tie-rods l6 each carry a light completely collapsible compression spring 39 that serves to take up any slack when the spring I4 is fully extended.

Reference is now made to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, for a more detailed description of the spring loading and sear retaining features of the invention. In these figures of the drawings it will be noted that the spring supporting member I3 is secured in a fixed position upon the shaft ID by means of a pin bolt 40, and at its lower end this member l3 also carries oppositely disposed hinge pins 4| upon which the sears 29 are hingedly mounted. The sears 29 are also shown as champfered at their lower ends to an angle corresponding with the incline of the sear block surfaces 30 at the upper end of the bucket supporting member l5.

With the sears in their operating position as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings they will operate to maintain a definite spacing between the spring retaining member |3 and the bucket supporting member l9. Under these conditions, when the lever I! is pulled downwardly about its pivotal mounting upon the trunnions I8 the tie-rods It will be pulled downwardly causing the spring engaging member l5 at the ends to compress the energy storing spring I4. Then, as the lever H is brought into its final downward position the connecting ends of the tierods I6 will pass over the dead-center of the trunnions l8. Then as long as the scars 29 are held in the position shown the spring I4 will be held in its energy storing condition, or in other words, the operating mechanism may be said to be cocked. With the operating mechanism cocked in this manner it will be readily seen that when the scars 29 are released by a downward movement of the sear retaining fingers 3| they will, because of their champfered ends, slide off the inclined sear blocks 39 and permit the spring M to release its stored energy. This will cause the bucket supporting member to move relative to the shaft 10 and into the position shown in Figure 5 of the drawings. As this occurs, the sides 23 and 24 of the clamshell bucket will operate and close upon the earth with which it is in contact.

It is contemplated that the improved operating mechanism described above may be used with many different forms of clam-shell buckets and while it is shown with an earth gathering bucket it may also be employed to operate any type of object griping device such as an oil well fishing tool.

In Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings I have shown a bucket arrangement in which the halves 23 and 24 of the bucket are operated in a novel manner with a scooping action that will insure a full load upon each closing thereof. in these figures of the drawings the scissor-like members 2| and 22 are adapted to move toward each other at their lower ends when the sides of the bucket are being closed and because of their angular disposition it is possible to bring the lower edges thereof together and at the same time spread the upper edges. To accomplish this the extreme lower ends 27 and 28 of the scissorlike members 2| and 22 are pivotally connected to bosses 42 secured substantially centrally upon the insides of the halves 23 and 24 of the bucket. The halves of the bucket also carry a second set of centrally located bosses 43 which carry links M and 45 that are pivotally connected respectively to the extending lower ends 2! and 28 of the scissor-like members 2| and 22. With this arrangement as the scissor-like members operate under the influence of the spring M the halves of the bucket will move with a scooping action and gather earth as they close upon each other.

While I have, for the sake of clearness and in order to disclose the invention so that the same can be readily understood, described and illustrated a specific form and arrangement it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific form disclosed, but may be embodied in other forms that will suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. It is believed that this invention is new and it is desired to claim it so that all such changesas come within the scope of the appended claims are to be considered as part of this invention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a well-digging tool of the character described, the combination of a shaft having a shackle at its upper end by which it may be suspended in a vertical position, a spring retaining member secured in a fixed position intermediate the ends of said shaft, a bucket-carrying member slidably mounted upon said shaft below said spring retaining member and having depending arms for the support of a clam shell bucket, a clam shell bucket carried by the depending arms of said bucket carrying member, an operating linkage between said bucket and the lower end of'said shaft, a compression spring having its convolutions disposed about said shaft and ex- As shown goon-ros- 52,1 tending upward from said spring retaining member, a spring engaging member at the upper end of said compression spring, a manually operated lever pivotally mounted upon said bucketcarrying member, a pair of tie rods extending from said spring engaging member and connected to said manually operable lever at a point outwardly from its pivotal mounting, whereby said tie-rods will go into and over toggle -posi*-; tion and said spring will be" compressed when said lever is moved' intoits final spring compressing position, a scar member pivotally mounted upon said spring retaining member and extending downward into holding engagement with said bucket-carrying member, and a sear retaining means carried by said bucket supporting member adapted upon a dropping of said device into a hole to release said sear and permit said spring to move said bucket-carrying member relative to said shaft and close the clam shell bucket carried by the depending arms of said bucket-carrying member.

2. In an earth-digging tool of the character described, the combination of a shaft having a shackle at its upper end by which it may be raised and lowered in a vertical direction, a spring retaining member secured in a fixed position intermediate ends of said shaft, a bucketcarrying member movably mounted upon said shaft adjacent said spring retaining member for the support of a clam shell bucket, a clam shell bucket mounted upon said bucket-carrying member and disposed below said shaft, an operating linkage between said bucket and the lower end of said shaft, compression spring means mounted upon said shaft above said spring retaining member, a bucket operating member adapted to be actuated by said compression spring means, a manually operated lever pivotally mounted upon said bucket-carrying member, a pair of tie-rods extending from said operating member and connected to said manually operable lever at a point adjacent its pivotal mounting upon said bucket carrying member, whereby said tie rods will assume an over toggle position and said spring means will be compressed by movement of said lever into an operative position, a sear member pivotally mounted upon said spring retaining member and extending downward into holding engagement with said bucket securing member, and a sear retaining means carried by said bucket supporting member adapted upon impact with the earth by a dropping of said device into a hole to release said sear and permit said spring means to operate and move said shaft relative to said bucket-carrying member and close said clam shell bucket.

3. In a Well digging device of the character described, the combination of a vertically disposed shaft adapted to be dropped into a well hole, a spring positioning member fixed upon said shaft, an energy storing spring supported at one end upon said spring positioning member, a bucket supporting member slidably mounted upon said shaft in coaxial relation with said spring, a clam-shell bucket mounted upon said bucket supporting member adapted to contact the bottom of a Well hole when said shaft is dropped therein, an operating connection between said clam-shell bucket and the end of said shaft, an over center toggle forming lever having tie-rods which connect with the free end of said energystoring spring, whereby said spring may be energized to store energy when said lever is operated into its toggle forming position, a pair v 9x 1 of-sears' pivotally mounted in a fixedposition upon said spring positioning memberl and en gaging said bucket supporting member at their free ends adapted and arranged to-retainsaidbucket supporting member in a fixed position upon said shaft when said spring is energized-a1 said sear retainingmember',-whereby upon a sudden stopping of said shaft said sear retaining member will release said sears and permit said spring to move said shaft relative to said bucket supporting member and operate the bucket into an earth-gathering position.

4. In a tool of the character described, the combination of a shaft adapted to be dropped vertically, a spring retaining member secured in a fixed position upon said shaft, a tool supporting member slidably mounted upon said shaft below said spring retaining member and having dependin arms, an object-gripping tool carried by the depending arms of supporting member, an operating linkage between said tool and the lower end of said shaft, a compression spring having its convolutions disposedabout said shaft and extending upward from said spring retaining member, a spring compressing member slidably mounted upon said shaft at the upper end of said compression spring, a manually operated lever pivotally mounted upon said supporting member, a pair of tie-rods extending from said spring compressing member and connected to said manually operable lever, said tie-rods being connected to said operating lever in an offcenter position to form a toggle connection for holding said spring in a compressed condition when said lever is operated about its pivotal mounting upon said supporting member, a sear member pivotally mounted upon said spring retaining member and extending downward into holding engagement with said tool supporting member, and a sear retaining member adapted upon a dropping and sudden stopping of the said shaft to release said sear and permit said spring to move said tool supporting member relative to said shaft and operate the tool carried by the depending arms of said tool supporting member.

5. In a well digging tool of the character described the combination of a bucket supporting member, a clam-shell bucket having cooperating members pivotally mounted upon said bucket supporting member, an operating shaft extending centrally through said bucket supporting member and operatively connected with the halves of said clam-shell bucket, an energy storing spring, a spring support fixed upon said shaft upon which said spring is disposed in coaxial alignment with said bucket supporting member, a spring engaging means slidably mounted upon said'shaft at the free end of said energy storing spring, a bifurcated spring loading lever pivotally mounted at its ends upon said bucket supporting member, a pair of depending tie-rods carried by said spring engaging means and connected at their ends to said lever outwardly from its pivotal mounting upon said bucket supporting member, said tie-rods being connected to said lever in an off-center position, whereby said lever may be thrown over center to retain said energystoring spring in an energy-storing condition, a pair of oppositely disposed sears pivotally mounted upon said spring support at the fixed end of said spring, sear engaging abutments upon said bucket supporting member, a sear re- 7 8 taining member siidably mounted upon said I bucket supporting member, and jar responsive REFERENCES CITED means operatively connected With d Seal The following references are of record in the taining member for normally holding said sear fil f this patent; retaining member in an operative position, said 5 jar responsive means being yieldingly mounted UNITED STATES PATENTS upon said bucket supporting member, whereby Number Name Date upon a sudden jar said energy-storing spring will 1,515,856 Healey Nov. 18, 1924 be released and move said shaft relative to said 2,193,073 Norton Mar. 12, 1940 bucket supporting member and close said bucket. 10 2,230,498 Loos et a1. Feb. 4, 1941 URANO SANDONA. 4 ,94 Caoli May 20, 1941 

